First. Car. LIVE! #12: [Citroen Saxo VTS] Rate it in the comments below.

24 Jul 2019

Intro: Well, the first one was all kinds of stuff, but not good. Although fun to make. Anyway, this one is a request. So i guess it should be better.

Specs

Keeping the trend with the 1.6L engines, this one has 120HP and 140NM of torque from factory, while being naturally aspirated. It was also the only Saxo having 16 valves, marked by the 16V decal.

Description

Released in 1996 and facelifted in 2000, it was quickly introduced into some controversy, having some of the worst NCAP scores from that year. Despite the lack of safety, it quickly became a fan favourite because of the absolute domination of JWRC. It’s very light, under 1000kg in fact, 935kg to be exact. That, combined with the FWD and stripped interior, made it extremelly controllable in corners.

Mods

Since this is not a rally car, but a very unsafe teen-oriented car, we should start with some safety mods.
No matter where you live, or what your laws say about roll cages, you should integrate one stealthly into the frame.
Custom roof liner and all, as hidden as possible.
Next on the list would be 4 point seatbelts. The harness bar should be done as safe as possible for the passengers as possible to avoid suspicion. So the bar should be made only around the seat and covered in the same material as the seat.
Next up on the list would be reinforcing the stock chassis, especially in the front with some tubes welded stealthly as usual. Since we already spent a lot and we are on a tight budget, i will go back to the Aisin AMR500 supercharger i talked about in an older episode, coupled with a Magnaflow catalyzer, a K&N filter and a chiptune, would result in more power than you’ll ever need in such a tiny car. Running at 5psi, it would boost it up to 180HP.
When talking about visual stuff, a simple rear lip would be enough. Imo, the rear is kinda empty.

Budget

I’ve calculated the price and i got a 2300€ total, after selling some old parts. There is no money left for suspension and tyre upgrades, but those can be done later down the line.

Conclusion

It’s a well known crash test disaster, but with some work can be turned into a little legal rally car you can carry around in your pocket.
It has the looks, it’s easy to work on, but on top of that it would be a fun project to make it safer.
I think it would be a great car, especially for somebody who’s learning how stuff works.